How to Keep Your Teeth in Your Mouth

June 10, 2018

Keeping our teeth — or finding great replacement teeth — is a huge part of having a healthy mouth. Our Novi Michigan dental office has a number of ways to give you a healthy and better-looking smile. We are trained in the latest aspects of dental hygiene, restorative dentistry, and even replacement tooth options.

You want to keep your teeth healthy so you can enjoy the food you love and smile with confidence. Dr. Ross is here to show you how to keep your teeth forever. Sometimes that means a little more than brushing or flossing your teeth or regularly visiting the dentist for checkups. Especially as we get older, our dental needs will change. Older adults are at a higher risk for problems like gum disease and even losing your teeth.

So today we want to share some ways in which we can restore your teeth or replace your missing teeth.

Restoring Damaged Teeth

We use our teeth thousands of times a day. Between eating and talking, our teeth and jaws are constantly at work. About 92 percent of us will also struggle with cavities in our lifetime. And while restorations are now lifelike and longlasting, no filling will last forever. Most fillings will need to be replaced over time by another filling or even a crown. We also use our crowns to help patients who have too much decay for fillings, who have an infection in the dental pulp.

Crowns are one of the most versatile restorations in dentistry. They are strong and extremely lifelike and can last for decades with proper care. We can also use dental crowns as part of a dental bridge — a restoration that fills the gap created by the missing tooth. A bridge consists of three or more dental crowns. We have many patients who use bridges to replace a single missing tooth, but these restorations require us to fill down teeth adjacent to the missing tooth.

Getting Rid of Infections

Gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in adults. It typically starts with bleeding or swollen gums, but an advanced infection can deteriorate the gums and the bone. It’s not uncommon for patients with advanced gum disease, we call this periodontitis, and it’s unfortunately not curable. We can manage gum disease to help you keep your teeth healthy and strong.

Secure New Teeth

There are millions of people across the country dealing with missing teeth. Some of our patients have no remaining teeth left, and have to rely on dentures to replace the gaps in their smile.

If you have dentures, you probably know the limitations. It’s hard to eat the food you love, and the dentures can fly out of the mouth at any time. The reason is because the teeth are not secure. With dental implants, you can always keep your teeth in your mouth. Implants are placed into the bone and create secure the teeth in place. The implants are nearly as strong as your natural teeth, allowing you to eat whatever you want again. These implants will never get cavities and can last forever with great care.

Visit Dr. Ross to Keep Your Mouth Functional

When it comes to keeping your teeth forever, you’ll need a great dentist to help you. We’d like for you to give us a call today at 248-574-8411.